Study Says Colorado Is One Of The Worst States To Drive In

(CBS4) - In a new study of best states to drive in, Colorado comes in with a dismal ranking of No. 44. The study "2022's Best & Worst States to Drive in" was released on Friday by WalletHub. Colorado kept coming up with low scores in metric after metric of the study's results.

The worst score Colorado got was for "Highest Car Theft Rate." It got the worst ranking possible -- No. 50. That's not a surprise considering new data from the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority and Colorado State Patrol shows an all-time high number of vehicle thefts in the state. In 2021, there was an 88% increase in vehicle thefts compared to 2017; and an 82% jump since 2019.

The only area where Colorado had a decent score was in the measurement of "Access to Vehicles & Maintenance." Colorado landed at No. 16 in that metric. But the Centennial State was scored at No. 33 for "Safety," No. 38 for "Traffic & Infrastructure" and No. 40 in "Cost of Ownership & Maintenance."

When it comes to pleasant driving, states that were found to provide the best experience aren't far away. Iowa was ranked No. 1 overall, and Colorado's neighbors Oklahoma and Kansas were No. 2 and No. 3 respectively.

The states with the worst overall driving experiences in the study are Rhode Island, No. 49, and Hawaii, No. 50.

Researchers say vehicle owners are getting complacent and apathetic when it comes to locking their cars and leaving spare keys inside of them. And the crime often doesn't end with the theft. Colorado State Patrol officials say vehicle thefts lead to other crimes like road rage, speeding and possible deadly pedestrian crashes.

"Others may fall victim to purchasing a vehicle for what seems like a great deal, only later to find out it's stolen, losing the newly purchased car and money they paid," CSP stated.

Officials urge vehicle owners to be responsible and mindful to avoid being a victim of vehicle theft.